Ginseng preparation using vinegar and process for thereof

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a ginseng preparation using vinegar and a process for preparing the same, more particularly to a ginseng preparation comprising high concentrations of ginsenosides (Rg 3 , Rg 5 , and Rh 1 ), which are generated by heat and exist only small amounts in red ginseng comprising various organic acids of vinegar, including citric acid, which is prepared by adding vinegar of pH 2 to 4 to ginseng, heat-extracting the same for 0.5 to 24 hours, and a method for preparing the ginseng preparation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a ginseng preparation using vinegar anda process for preparing the same, and more particularly to a ginsengpreparation comprising high concentration of ginsenosides (Rg₃, Rg₅, andRh₁) which are generated by heat and exist only small amounts in redginseng and various organic acids of vinegar including citric acid,prepared by adding vinegar of pH 2 to 4 to ginseng, heat-extracting thesame for 0.5 to 24 hours, and a method for preparing the ginsengpreparation.

2. Description of the Related Art

Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) is listed as a fine quality medicinalherb in Shennong Benaojing, a representative Chinese herbal dictionary.It has a sweet taste, is slightly warm and known effective inmaintaining lungs and spleen healthy. It is also one of the specialtiesrepresenting Korea. Korean ginseng contains more than 30 different kindsof ginseng saponins including ginsenoside Rb₂, which has an antidiabeticactivity; polyacetylenes which have anticancer activities; phenoliccompounds which have antioxidant activities; ginseng proteins which haveradioprotective activities; and acidic polysaccharides, which haveimmune controlling activities. Further, it contains relatively largeamount of phenolic compounds, polyacetylenes, and acidic polysaccharidesas compared to that of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium), and thusit is believed to have a stronger physiological activity. The ginsengsaponin, which is known as the main pharmacological component of Koreanginseng, is called ‘ginsenoside’. The Shibata Group of Tokyo Universityhas identified its chemical structure. Korean ginseng contains more than30 different kinds of ginseng saponins, far more than those of Americanginseng (14 kinds) and Sanqi ginseng (Panax notoginseng) (15 kinds).Ginsenosides are classified as protopanaxadiols and protopanaxatriols.The main component of the protopanaxadiol is ginsenoside Rb₁, and it isknown to suppress the activity of central nervous system. The maincomponent of the protopanaxatriols is ginsenoside Rg₁. It is known toexcite CNS simulatory activity, and is deeply involved in the adaptogenactivity of Korean ginseng.

Since the protopanaxadiol/protopanaxatriol (diol/triol) ratio and theginsenoside Rb₁/ginsenoside Rg₁ (Rb₁/Rg₁) ratio of Korean ginseng are1.96 and 3.14, respectively, it has a more balanced, sedative andinvigoration of energy when compared to those of American ginseng, whosediol/triol ratio and Rb₁/Rg₁ ratio are 2.48 and 25.96, respectively.Therefore, Korean ginseng is believed to be one of the best tonic agentsfor modern people, with an improved invigoration activity and atranquilizing activity, having a balanced ratio of ginsenoside Rb₁ andginsenoside Rg₁.

Pharmacological activities of Korean ginseng, identified so far, areenhancement of the cardiac function and blood vessels and blood vessels;improvement of blood circulation; prevention of arteriosclerosis andhypertension; reinforcement of gastrointestinal regulatory functions;improvement of liver functions; release of hangover, anti-fatigue andanti-stress activities; prevention of aging; cognition improvement;anti-inflammatory activities; treatment of allergic diseases; treatmentof women's diseases and diabetes; radioprotective activities; vitalenhancement; anti-tumor activities; inhibition of lipid peroxidation;facilitation of wound healing; immune boosting activities; inhibition ofAIDS virus proliferation; facilitation of protein syntheses etc.

Red ginseng (Ginseng Radix Ruba) refers to a steam-dried ginsengobtained from a garden by digging-up. White ginseng (Ginseng Radix Alba)refers to a natural-dried ginseng by sunlight after removing the peelsand root hairs. And, fine ginseng root (Ginseng Radix Palba) refers tonatural-dried root hairs. Particularly, the red ginseng is known tocontain ginsenosides Rg₃, Rg₅, Rh₁, which are generated by heat andexist only in small amounts, are known to have activities such as cancerprevention, cancer propagation inhibition, blood pressure decrease, andantioxidation, thus drawing much attention.

While Korean ginseng has long been recognized as a brand with premiumquality, it only shares about 3% of the global market. To rejuvenate theginseng industry, it appears that the development of high value addedginseng products is necessary. Nevertheless, the ginseng preparationsand red ginseng preparations introduced so far have been largely simpletonic agents because of their simple extraction process. To produceginseng preparation products with improved functional specialties, it isessential to develop ginseng preparations comprising high concentrationof physiologically active and safety-proven functional substances.

As one of such efforts to overcome one of the foregoing problems,attempts have been made to develop a ginseng preparation with a highconcentration of ginsenoside Rg₃, which is known to have a superiorphysiological effect.

According to a Shibata's report published in 1966, prosapogenin [20(R &S)-ginsenoside Rg₃] is obtained by hydrolyzing saponin with a weak acidsuch as acetic acid. In this process, only the glucoside bond at C-20(ginsenosides Rb₁, Rb₂, Rc, and Rd) was hydrolyzed and thus the processended up with only producing a standard substance. Meanwhile, there arestill other lines of studies attempting physical treatment athigh-temperature or biochemical treatment using an enzyme to obtain aginseng preparation comprising a high concentration of ginsenoside Rg₃.

In the high-temperature treatment, ginseng is heat-treated at hightemperature to augment its efficacy. That is, ginseng is heat-treated at120 to 180° C. for 0.5 to 20 hours, so that the ginsenoside ratio[(Rg₃+Rg₅)/(Rc+Rd+Rb₁+Rb₂) becomes larger than 1 to prepare a processedginseng product or a drink composition comprising the same (KoreanPatent No. 192678). An example for the biochemical treatment is toprepare a rare anticancer saponin (Rh₁, Rh₂) by hydrolyzing saccharidegroups of ginseng saponin with saponin glucoside hydrolases (KoreanPatent No. 329259), by which Sun Ginseng and Shin (the Almighty) Ginsengproducts are manufactured and released on the market. Although thismethod improves the efficacy of ginseng, it requires a longmanufacturing period or specially designed processing equipments such asa high-pressure heater. Especially, since it requires a heat-treatmentat a temperature higher than that used in the conventional processes,there is a great risk that ginseng may be charred during mass process.

The patents “Method for preparing ginsenoside Rg₃ and/or Rg₅ (KoreanPatent No. 228510)” and “Vasodilator composition (Korean Patent No.201585)” argue that effective ingredients such as Rg₃ can be obtained byacid treatment using dilute mineral acid or low grade organic acids,such as acetic acid, tartaric acid, and oxalic acid, under a mildcondition, as in the heat treatment at high-temperature. However, it wasdifficult to obtain a ginseng preparation comprising Rg₃ and Rg₅ withacid treatment using low grade organic acids, such as acetic acid andcitric acid, and also the resulting product contained a relatively largeamount of impurities as identified by the component analysis.

Vinegar is classified into brewing vinegar, which is prepared byfermenting grains, fruit wines, and other alcoholic liquors; andsynthetic vinegar, which is prepared by diluting glacial acetic acid oracetic acid with water (Food Code). Since vinegar has a sour taste, itstimulates the palate and promotes appetite. The sour ingredients areinorganic acids and organic acids.

Vinegar is prepared by using acid-resistant bacteria that grow fast andproduce vinegar in high yield, such as Acetobacto aceti, Acetobactoacetosus, Acetobacto shuzenbachii, and Acetobacto pasteurianum, bystatic culture method, fast vinegar brewing method, deep fermentationmethod, etc.

Vinegar's effect has long been the subject of many researches. Accordingto Dr. Krebs and Dr. Lipman (1953), vinegar releases fatigue and clearsturbidity in urines within 2 hours after drinking. When people becometired due to excessive physical or mental work, lactic acid isaccumulated in peoples' bodies, which then causes to promote agingprocess. Vinegar prevents generation of lactic acid or removes it.

In 1964, Dr. Bloch of US and Dr. Lynen of West Germany won the NobelPrize for the theory that acetic acid in conjunction with other vinegaringredients (citric acid, proteins, various vitamins, and minerals) areinvolved in producing adrenal cortical hormone. As such, variousingredients of vinegar help to prevent the generation of lactic acid orremove it, and to generate adrenal cortical hormone.

The nutritional characteristics and values of vinegar are often citedthrough Dr. Krebs' theory of Krebs cycle. The Krebs cycle or the TCAcycle illustrates the degradation of nutrients in our bodies.Carbohydrates and fats are digested to pyruvic acid. The pyruvic acid ismetabolized to citric acid, and the citric acid is metabolized tovarious acids, and ultimately to water and carbon dioxide. In thisprocess, the heat generated as a result is used for various activities.If the Krebs cycle proceeds well in a person, he will be able to stayhealthy. However, if he is fatigued or overly stressed, the pyruvic acidturns into lactic acid, a representing product produced as a result offatigue called ‘fatigue material’. Acetic acid or citric acid isabsorbed by the body and metabolized, which then facilitates intestinalmetabolism and releases fatigue materials like lactic acid.

Blood transfers nutrients and waste materials to and from various bodyparts. 92% of human blood consists of water while the remaining 8%consists of amino acid, fatty acid, glucose, various vitamins, andinorganic substances. Among the constituents of blood, inorganicmaterials, such as calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, and phosphate,maintain the alkalinity of blood, and proteins or carbohydratemetabolites maintain the blood acidity. Since these materials maintainthe blood acidic and are strongly caustic, they are known to inducestomach ulcer, cystitis, constipation, etc., if remained inside thebody. These hazardous materials can be removed by two different ways.One is to neutralize or inactivate them with inorganic materials such ascalcium, and the other is to decompose them into water and carbondioxide. Vinegar is known to be of great assistance to the latterprocess.

Since vinegar is simply used for its sour taste and flavor, itseffective ingredients such as citric acid are hardly taken intoconsideration. There have been inventions combining vinegar and ginseng,e.g., “Method for preparing red ginseng vinegar by mixing ginseng or redginseng with vinegar (Korean Patent No. 244849)” and “Method forpreparing ginseng vinegar (Korean Patent No. 344949)”. However, the mainpurposes of these inventions were to prepare vinegar by mixing a smallamount of ginseng or red ginseng with vinegar, and thus they are notrelated to the present invention which teaches the method of extractingspecific ingredients from ginseng by using vinegar.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventors of the present invention have made various efforts toprepare a ginseng preparation comprising high concentrations offunctional materials such as ginsenoside Rg₃. In doing so, they realizedthat a ginseng preparation comprising high concentration of ginsenosidesRg₃, Rg₅, and Rh₁, and comprising citric acid of vinegar by addingvinegar of pH 2 to 4 to ginseng, and heat-extracting it for 0.5 to 24hours.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide amethod for preparing a ginseng preparation comprising 5 to 100% ofginsenoside Rg₃, which has a significantly enhanced medicinal effect,with reference to the total combined ginsenosides of Rb₁, Rb₂, Rc, Rd,Re, Rf, Rg₁, and Rg₃ at a relatively low cost.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is characterized by a method for preparing aginseng preparation comprising 5 to 100% of ginsenoside Rg₃ withreference to the total combined ginsenosides of Rb₁, Rb₂, Rc, Rd, Re,Rf, Rg₁, and Rg₃, and comprising 1 to 15% of (Rg3+Rg5+Rh1), by addingvinegar of pH 2 to 4 to ginseng or ginseng extract, and heat-extractingit for 0.5 to 24 hours.

Hereunder is given a more detailed description of the present invention.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a new-version ofginseng preparation comprising high concentration of ginsenosides Rg₃,Rg₅, and Rh₁, and comprising citric acid of vinegar.

Therefore, the present invention is characterized in that it canmaximize effective ingredients and contents of rare ingredients ofginseng with vinegar, enhance and support the effects of ginseng witheffective ingredients of vinegar.

Hereunder is given a more detailed description of the method forpreparing a ginseng preparation according to the present invention.

About 5 to 15 equivalents of vinegar of pH 2 to 4 is added to ginseng orginseng extract, and it is heat-extracted at 70 to 150° C. for 0.5 to 24hours to obtain a ginseng preparation. If it is heated at a temperaturebelow 70° C., a very small amount of effective ingredient is obtainedfrom the final product. Otherwise, if it is heated above 150° C., thecontent of the effective ingredient decreases and the processing becomesdifficult. If the heating time is less than 0.5 hour, a very smallamount of effective ingredient is obtained from the final product. Incontrast, if it exceeds 24 hours, the ginsenosides Rg₃ and Rg₅ of thefinal product may be decomposed. The final extract according to thepresent invention may have liquid, powder, or any other forms.

If vinegar of pH 2.0 to 3.0 is added to ginseng or ginseng extract, andif it is extracted at 90 to 120° C. for 2 to 24 hours, a ginsengpreparation comprising 50 to 100% of ginsenoside Rg₃ with reference tothe total combined ginsenosides of Rb₁, Rb₂, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, Rg₁, andRg₃ is obtained. This ginseng preparation is useful for improving bloodcirculation, treating erectile dysfunction, releasing fatigue, andtreating hypertension, arteriosclerosis, antithrombosis, and cerebralapoplexy. Also, vinegar of pH 2.0 to 3.0 is added to ginseng or ginsengextract and extracted at a temperature below 70 to 90° C. for 0.5 to 6hours; or if vinegar of pH 3.0 to 4.0 is added to ginseng or ginsengextract and extracted at 90 to 120° C. for 0.5 to 6 hours, a ginsengpreparation comprising 5 to 50% of ginsenoside Rg₃ with reference to thetotal combined ginsenosides of Rb₁, Rb₂, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, Rg₁, and Rg₃ isobtained. This ginseng preparation is useful for preventinghypertension, arteriosclerosis, antithrombosis, and cerebral apoplexy,and for improving brain functions.

Any part of ginseng can provide the proposed effects of the presentinvention. That is, overground or underground parts of the genus Panaxplants, including Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng), American ginseng(Panax quinquefolium), Sanqi ginseng (Panax notoginseng), Japaneseginseng (Panax japonicum), and Vietnamese ginseng (Panax vietnamensis),e.g., fine ginseng root, white ginseng, red ginseng, fresh ginseng,taeguk ginseng (boil-dried ginseng), ginseng leaves, and ginseng fruits,processed or unprocessed can be used in the present invention. This wasidentified through repeated experiments.

If required, ginseng can be processed to ginseng extract by the knownmethods. That is, ginseng is extracted with water, low grade alcohols(e.g., methanol, ethanol, etc.), low grade ketones (e.g., acetone,methyl ethyl ketone, etc.), supercritical fluids, or mixture thereof,and then concentrated. Then, the concentrate is dried to remove thesolvent to obtain fluid or powdery ginseng extract.

Since vinegar prevents generation of lactic acid, a fatigue material, orremoves it, facilitates metabolism, and generates adrenal corticalhormone, a ginseng preparation of the present invention, which comprisesover 3% of citric acid of vinegar, enhances and aids the ginseng'seffective ingredients. Vinegar is not particularly limited to thoselisted in the present invention, but practically any edible vinegar,such as brewing vinegar or any fermented edible vinegar can be used inthe present invention. For the brewing vinegar, grain vinegar like ricevinegar, brown rice vinegar, malt vinegar, and wine lees vinegar, orfruit vinegar such as persimmon vinegar, cider vinegar, wine vinegar,pear vinegar, citrus vinegar, strawberry vinegar, and plum vinegar canbe used.

A ginseng preparation of the present invention comprises not only 5 to100% of ginsenoside Rg₃ with reference to the total combinedginsenosides of Rb₁, Rb₂, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, Rg₁, and Rg₃, but also morethan 3% of citric acid, and therefore offers superior pharmacologicaleffects. This ginseng preparation is useful for improving bloodcirculation, treating erectile dysfunction, releasing fatigue, treatingand preventing hypertension, arteriosclerosis, antithrombosis, andcerebral apoplexy, and improving brain functions.

The ginseng preparation of the present invention comprises 5 to 100% ofginsenoside Rg₃ with reference to the total combined ginsenosides ofRb₁, Rb₂, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, Rg₁, and Rg₃, and 1 to 15% of (Rg₃+Rg₅+Rh₁),and therefore it offers superior pharmacological effects. Especially,since it comprises high concentration of Rg₃ (0.5 to 7.5%), Rg₅ (0.1 to4.0%), and Rh₁ (0.2 to 3.5%), it offers superior medicinal effects.Also, since it comprises over 3% of citric acid, it enhances thepharmacological effects.

As such, the ginseng preparation of the present invention can beextracted from ginseng at a low temperature using vinegar. And, citricacid and other various organic acids, including acetic acid, of vinegarcomprised in the ginseng preparation improve and enhance itspharmacological effects.

The ginseng preparation of the present invention further comprises aminoacids, vitamins, and the like.

When administering the ginseng preparation of the present invention forclinical purpose at once or 2 to 3 times daily, 1 to 50 mg per kg ofbody weight per day is recommended. However, a specific dose may beapplied depending on the chemicals to be included, body weight, age,sex, health condition, and diet of the subject, administering time,administering method, excretion rate, medicines added, and severity ofdisease.

The ginseng preparation of the present invention can be administered byinjection or orally. A preparation for injection can be prepared usingan appropriate dispersing agent, wetting agent, or emulsifying agent,e.g., aqueous or oily suspension for sterile injection, according to theknown methods. Examples of usable solvents include water, Ringer'ssolution, and isotonic NaCl solution, and sterile oleaginous vehicle canbe used for the solvent or suspension medium. Any irritation-lessoleaginous vehicle including mono- and di-glyceride can be used for thispurpose, and fatty acids such as oleic acid may be used for apreparation for injection. A preparation for oral administration can beprepared in the form of capsules, tablets, pills, powders, granules, andliquids. Particularly, capsules, tablets, and liquids are useful.Preferably, tablets and pills are prepared in the enteric-coating form.Solid and liquid type preparations are prepared by mixing the activeingredient with a carrier selected from more than one inert diluentslike sucrose, lactose, and starch, lubricants such as magnesium stearateand talc, disintegration supporting agents such as Calcium CMC, bindingagents, flavoring agents, antiseptics like sodium benzoate, sweetenerslike sucrose or fructose, and surfactants. To be more specific, acapsule can be prepared by adding 7:3 ratio of starch and lactose to theactive ingredient as an excipient, and adding less than 3% of magnesiumstearate and talc to increase the fluidity. A tablet can be prepared byadding 7:3 ratios of starch and lactose as an excipient, a bindingagent, and Calcium CMC, a disintegration supporting agent, to the activeingredient. A liquid medicine can be prepared by adding afruit-flavoring agent, sodium benzoate as an antiseptic, sucrose orfructose as a sweetener, and a surfactant.

Hereinafter, the present invention is described in more detail throughExamples and Experimental Examples. However, the following Examples andExperimental Examples are only for the understanding of the presentinvention, and the present invention is not limited by the followingExamples and Experimental Examples.

PREPARATION EXAMPLE Preparation of Ginseng Extract

50 g of fine ginseng root and 250 mL of 95% ethanol (spirituous) put ina sealed container was extracted for 4 times in a 76° C. of water bathfor 4 hours, and then filtered. Thus obtained ginseng extract wasvacuum-dried.

Example 1

An amount of 10 volumes of brewing vinegar (pH 2.90) was added to 50 gof tiny ginseng, and then extracted once at 100° C. for 2 hours. Theremaining solution was condensed under reduced pressure and freeze-driedto obtain a brownish extract.

Example 2

An amount of 10 volumes of brewing vinegar (pH 2.90) was added to 50 gof fine ginseng root, and then extracted once at 100° C. for 24 hours.The remaining solution was condensed under reduced pressure andfreeze-dried to obtain a brownish extract.

Instead of tiny sized ginseng, white ginseng, red ginseng, freshginseng, taeguk ginseng, ginseng leaves, ginseng fruits, or extractsthereof may be used.

Example 3

An amount of eight volumes of brewing vinegar (pH 2.47) was added to 10g of ginseng extract, and then reacted at 80° C. for 3 hours. Then, itwas filtered and vacuum-dried to obtain a brownish extract. The extractwas analyzed by the HPLC method.

Example 4

An amount of eight volumes of brewing vinegar (pH 2.47) was added to 10g of ginseng extract, and then reacted at 90° C. for 0.5 hour. Then, itwas filtered and vacuum-dried to obtain a brownish extract. The extractwas analyzed by the HPLC method.

Example 5

An amount of eight volumes of brewing vinegar (pH 2.47) was added to 10g of ginseng extract, and then reacted at 90° C. for 3 hours. Then, itwas filtered and vacuum-dried to obtain a brownish extract. The extractwas analyzed by the HPLC method.

Example 6

An amount of eight volumes of brewing vinegar (pH 3.45) was added to 10g of ginseng extract, and then reacted at 90° C. for 3 hours. Then, itwas filtered and vacuum-dried to obtain a brownish extract. The extractwas analyzed by the HPLC method.

Example 7

An amount of eight volumes of brewing vinegar (pH 3.45) was added to 10g of ginseng extract, and then reacted at 90° C. for 6 hours. Then, itwas filtered and vacuum-dried to obtain a brownish extract. The extractwas analyzed by the HPLC method.

Example 8

An amount of eight volumes of brewing vinegar (pH 3.45) was added to 10g of ginseng extract, and then reacted at 120° C. for 6 hours. Then, itwas filtered and vacuum-dried to obtain a brownish extract. The extractwas analyzed by the HPLC method.

Example 9

An amount of eight volumes of brewing vinegar (pH 2.27) was added to 10g of ginseng extract, and then reacted at 90° C. for 6 hours. Then, itwas filtered and vacuum-dried to obtain a brownish extract. The extractwas analyzed by the HPLC method.

Comparative Example 1

An amount of ten volumes of distilled water was added to 50 g of fineginseng root, and then extracted once at 100° C. for 2 hours. Theremaining solution was concentrated under reduced pressure andfreeze-dried to obtain a brownish extract.

Comparative Example 2-1

An amount of eight volumes of citric acid solution (pH 5.02) was addedto 10 g of ginseng extract, and then reacted at 90° C. for 3 hours.Then, it was filtered and vacuum-dried to obtain a brownish extract. Theextract was analyzed by the HPLC method.

Comparative Example 2-2

An amount of eight volumes of glacial acetic acid (pH −0.27) was addedto 10 g of ginseng extract, and then reacted at 90° C. for 3 hours.Then, it was filtered and vacuum-dried to obtain a brownish extract. Theextract was analyzed by the HPLC method.

Comparative Example 3-1

An amount of eight volumes of persimmon vinegar (pH 3.42) was added to10 g of ginseng extract, and then reacted at 60° C. for 6 hours. Then,it was filtered and vacuum-dried to obtain a brownish extract. Theextract was analyzed by the HPLC method.

Comparative Example 3-2

An amount of eight volumes of citric acid solution (pH 5.00) was addedto 10 g of ginseng extract, and then reacted at 60° C. for 6 hours.Then, it was filtered and vacuum-dried to obtain a brownish extract. Theextract was analyzed by the HPLC method.

Comparative Example 3-3

An amount of eight volumes of glacial acetic acid (pH −0.27) was addedto 10 g of ginseng extract, and then reacted at 60° C. for 6 hours.Then, it was filtered and vacuum-dried to obtain a brownish extract. Theextract was analyzed by the HPLC method.

Comparative Example 4-1

An amount of eight volumes of citric acid solution (pH 5.02) was addedto 10 g of ginseng extract, and then reacted at 90° C. for 6 hours.Then, it was filtered and vacuum-dried to obtain a brownish extract. Theextract was analyzed by the HPLC method.

Comparative Example 4-2

An amount of eight volumes of glacial acetic acid (pH −0.27) was addedto 10 g of ginseng extract, and then reacted at 90° C. for 6 hours.Then, it was filtered and vacuum-dried to obtain a brownish extract. Theextract was analyzed by the HPLC method.

Comparative Example 5-1

An amount of eight volumes of citric acid solution (pH 5.02) was addedto 10 g of ginseng extract, and then reacted at 120° C. for 6 hours.Then, it was filtered and vacuum-dried to obtain a brownish extract. Theextract was analyzed by the HPLC method.

Comparative Example 5-2

An amount of eight volumes of glacial acetic acid (pH −0.27) was addedto 10 g of ginseng extract, and then reacted at 120° C. for 6 hours.Then, it was filtered and vacuum-dried to obtain a brownish extract. Theextract was analyzed by the HPLC method.

Experimental Example 1 Ginsenoside Rg₃ Analysis by HPLC

(1) Test Method

50 g of each test sample was treated 3 times with ether. Thewater-soluble layer was treated 3 times with water-saturated n-butanol.The n-butanol layer was condensed under reduced pressure to obtain crudesaponin (Shibata method). The crude saponin was quantified by the HPLCmethod. The result is shown in the following Tables 1, 2, and 3.

(2) HPLC Analysis Condition:

For each ginseng saponin ingredient, a calibration curve was drawn basedon 1 mg/mL (1000 ppm). Each sample was prepared to a concentration of 10mg/mL (10000 ppm). The HPLC condition is as follows:

-   -   HPLC: Gilson 305 system    -   Column: μ-Bondapak C18 (Waters, 3.9×150 mm)    -   Detector: Gilson 118 UV/detector    -   Temperature: room temperature

Mobile phase: (CH₃CN, 17%→33%→60%→80%→17%) TABLE 1 Ginsenoside contentsof ginseng preparation Crude Total Ginsenoside content (w/w %)Preparation saponin (%) saponin (%) Rb₁ Rb₂ Rc Rd Re Rf Rg₁ Rh₁ Rg₃ Rg₅Formula 1* Formula 2** Comp. 2.78 5.65 1.853 0.597 1.125 0.489 0.5500.097 0.142 0.796 0.000 0.000 0.796 — Example 1 Example 1 1.94 6.140.043 0.058 0.219 0.108 0.020 0.137 0.012 1.253 1.477 2.813 5.54 71.22Example 2 2.98 2.82 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.019 0.014 0.009 0.000 0.5050.557 1.712 2.77 92.99 Example 3 — — 1.46 1.10 1.07 1.07 1.20 0.12 0.590.43 0.66 0.13 1.22 9.07 Example 4 — — 1.19 1.24 1.20 1.15 1.59 0.170.82 0.46 0.82 0.12 1.40 10.02*Rg₃ + Rg₅ + Rh₁**[Rg₃/(Rb₁ + Rb₂ + Rc + Rd + Re + Rf + Rg₁ + Rg₃)] × 100

Ginsenoside contents of crude saponins obtained from the fine ginsengroot extract (Comparative Example) and the ginseng preparations preparedby the Shibata method according to the present invention (Examples) wereanalyzed by the HPLC method. As seen in Table 1, while ginsenoside Rg₃,the specific ingredient of red ginseng, was not detected at all from thefine ginseng root extract, but high concentration of ginsenoside Rg₃were detected from the ginseng preparations of the present invention.Particularly, the preparation of Example 1 showed the highestginsenoside Rg₃ content of 1.477%, which corresponds to 71.22% of thetotal saponin contents. Further, the preparation of Example 2 alsoshowed high ginsenoside Rg₃ content of 0.557%, which corresponds to92.99% of the total saponin contents. TABLE 2 Ginsenoside content (w/w%) Preparation Rb₁ Rb₂ Rc Rd Re Rf Rg₁ Rh₁ Rg₃ Rg₅ Formula 1* Formula2** Example 5 0.03 0.15 0.11 0.81 0.81 0.74 0.71 1.23 1.93 0.12 2.8633.80 Example 6 0.07 0.31 0.11 0.65 0.98 0.88 0.83 0.97 1.27 0.32 2.2423.43 Comp. Example 2-1 0.52 1.92 0.12 0.27 1.86 1.61 1.49 1.55 0.260.17 0.70 2.79 Comp. Example 2-2 0.06 0.17 0.07 0.15 0.04 0.05 0.00 0.000.59 0.59 1.33 60.20*Rg₃ + Rg₅ + Rh₁**[Rg₃/(Rb₁ + Rb₂ + Rc + Rd + Re + Rf + Rg₁ + Rg₃)] × 100

As seen in Table 2, when the pH ranged from 2 to 4 (Examples 5 and 6),the Rg₃ contents increased significantly to 1.93% and 1.27%, compared towhen the pH was below 2 or over 4 (Comparative Examples 2-1 and 2-2),whose Rg₃ contents were 0.26% and 0.59%, respectively. In ComparativeExample 2-2, the total saponin contents were significantly lower thanthose in other Examples. It is speculated that the glacial acetic acidwith strong acidity may prevent generation of Rg₃. TABLE 3 Comp. Comp.Comp. Comp. Comp. Comp. Comp. Preparation Example 7 Example 8 Example 9Example 3-1 Example 3-2 Example 3-3 Example 4-1 Example 4-2 Example 5-1Example 5-2 Rg₃ 2.36 2.28 5.93 0.19 0.17 0.31 0.43 0.63 0.59 0.25 Rg₅0.40 0.42 1.18 0.05 0.06 0.31 0.13 0.77 0.08 0.22 Rh₁ 0.77 1.53 0.780.64 0.33 0.16 0.40 0.21 1.02 0.00 Formula 1* 3.53 4.23 7.89 0.88 0.560.78 0.96 1.61 1.69 0.47 Formula 2** 44.19 48.94 98.02 1.40 1.33 2.575.56 82.89 4.98 83.33*Rg₃ + Rg₅ + Rh₁**[Rg₃/(Rb₁ + Rb₂ + Rc + Rd + Re + Rf + Rg₁ + Rg₃)] × 100

As seen in Table 3, when the reaction was performed at a temperaturebelow 70° C. (Comparative Examples 3-1, 3-2, and 3-3) the Rg₃ contentswere as low as 0.19%, 0.17%, and 0.31%, respectively. However, when thereaction was performed at a temperature above 90° C. (Examples 7 and 8),the Rg₃ contents increased. When the pH ranged from 2 to 4, there wereno significant difference in Rg₃ content at 90° C. and 120° C. However,when the pH was higher than 4, the Rg₃ content increased in proportionto the increase in temperature. This implies that the reactiontemperature can play a role to some extent in generation of Rg₃ up to acertain level of acidity.

Therefore, a ginseng preparation comprising a high concentration of Rg₃can be prepared by adjusting the acidity (pH) and the amount of vinegarat a reaction temperature of 70 to 150° C. and a reaction time of 0.5 to24 hours.

Experimental Example 2 Citric Acid Contents of Ginseng Preparation

For the ginseng preparations prepared from Examples 1 to 9, and redginseng (control group), citric acid contents were analyzed by thefollowing method. The result is shown in the following Table 4.

HPLC Analysis Condition:

For each citric acid ingredient, a calibration curve was drawn based on1 mg/mL (1000 ppm). Each sample was prepared to a concentration of 10mg/mL (10000 ppm). The HPLC condition is as follows:

-   -   HPLC: Gilson 305 system    -   Column: μ-Bondapak C18    -   Detector: UV 210 nm

Mobile phase: (Pump: 5 mM H₂SO₄)—Isocratic acid TABLE 4 PreparationCitric acid (%) Red ginseng 0 Example 1 4.725 Example 2 4.586 Example 33.522 Example 4 3.467 Example 5 3.234 Example 6 3.758 Example 7 3.445Example 8 3.562 Example 9 3.685

As seen in Table 4, the citric acid contents of Examples were higherthan 3%, much greater than that in red ginseng, due to the component ofthe vinegar contained in the ginseng preparations.

Experimental Example 3

From the ingredient analysis of the ginseng preparations prepared inExamples, the following amino acids and vitamins were identified. <Testresult> Vitamin B₁ (mg/100 g) Undetected Vitamin B₂ (mg/100 g) 1.1Lysine (mg/100 g) 73.8 Isoleucine (mg/100 g) 107.9 Tryptophane (mg/100g) 210.3 Histidine (mg/100 g) 173.1 Arginine (mg/100 g) 434.5 Threonine(mg/100 g) 113.4 Valine (mg/100 g) 137.1 Niacin (mg/100 g) 6.9Methionine + cysteine (mg/100 g) 236.7 Phenylalanine + tyrosine (mg/100g) 308.4

As described in detail above, a ginseng preparation comprising highconcentrations of ginsenosides Rg₃, Rg₅, and Rh₁, which are functionalmaterials generated in low yield during preparation of red ginseng, andcomprising citric acid of vinegar can be easily prepared according tothe present invention.

While the present invention has been described in detail with referenceto the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciatethat various modifications and substitutions can be made thereto withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present invention as setforth in the appended claims.

1. A method for preparing a ginseng preparation comprising 5 to 100% ofginsenoside Rg₃ with reference to the total combined ginsenosides of(Rb₁, Rb₂, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, Rg₁, and Rg₃), and 1 to 15% of (Rg₃+Rg₅+Rh₁),prepared by adding vinegar of pH 2 to 4 to ginseng or ginseng extract,and then heat-extracting it for 0.5 to 24 hours.
 2. The method forpreparing a ginseng preparation according to claim 1, wherein saidginseng preparation comprises 0.5 to 7.5% of Rg₃, 0.1 to 4.0% of Rg₅,and 0.2 to 3.5% of Rh₁.
 3. The method for preparing a ginsengpreparation according to claim 1, wherein said heating is performed at70 to 150° C.
 4. The method for preparing a ginseng preparationaccording to claim 1, wherein said ginseng is overground or undergroundpart of the genus Panax plant, or extract prepared therefrom.
 5. Themethod for preparing a ginseng preparation according to claim 4, whereinsaid genus Panax plant is selected from the group consisting of Koreanginseng (Panax ginseng), American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium), Sanqiginseng (Panax notoginseng), Japanese ginseng (Panax japonicum), andVietnamese ginseng (Panax vietnamensis).
 6. The method for preparing aginseng preparation according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein saidoverground or underground part of the genus Panax plant is selected fromthe group consisting of fine ginseng root, white ginseng, red ginseng,fresh ginseng, taeguk ginseng, ginseng leaves, and ginseng fruits. 7.The method for preparing a ginseng preparation according to claim 1,wherein said vinegar is brewing vinegar.
 8. The method for preparing aginseng preparation according to claim 7, wherein said brewing vinegaris grain vinegar or fruit vinegar.
 9. The method for preparing a ginsengpreparation according to claim 8, wherein said grain vinegar is selectedfrom the group consisting of rice vinegar, brown rice vinegar, maltvinegar, and wine lees vinegar, and the fruit vinegar is selected fromthe group consisting of persimmon vinegar, cider vinegar, wine vinegar,pear vinegar, citrus vinegar, strawberry vinegar, and plum vinegar. 10.The method for preparing a ginseng preparation according to claim 1,wherein said ginseng preparation is prepared by adding vinegar of pH 2.0to 3.0 to ginseng, and then heat-extracting it at 90 to 120° C. for 2 to24 hours.
 11. The method for preparing a ginseng preparation accordingto claim 1, wherein said ginseng preparation is prepared by addingvinegar of pH 2.0 to 3.0 to ginseng, and then heat-extracting it at atemperature lower than 70 to 90° C. for 0.5 to 6 hours.
 12. The methodfor preparing a ginseng preparation according to claim 1, wherein saidginseng preparation is prepared by adding vinegar of pH 3.0 to 4.0 toginseng, and then heat-extracting it at 90 to 120° C. for 0.5 to 6hours.
 13. A ginseng preparation prepared by any method according toclaims 1 to 12, which comprises 5 to 100% of ginsenoside Rg₃ withreference to the total combined ginsenosides of (Rb₁, Rb₂, Rc, Rd, Re,Rf, Rg₁, and Rg₃).
 14. The ginseng preparation according to claim 13,which comprises 1 to 15% of (Rg₃+Rg₅+Rh₁).
 15. The ginseng preparationaccording to claim 13 or claim 14, which comprises 0.5 to 7.5% of Rg₃,0.1 to 4.0% of Rg₅, and 0.2 to 3.5% of Rh₁.
 16. The ginseng preparationaccording to claim 13 or claim 14, which comprises more than 3% ofcitric acid.
 17. The ginseng preparation according to claim 13 or claim14, which comprises 50 to 100% of ginsenoside Rg₃ with reference to thetotal combined ginsenosides of (Rb₁, Rb₂, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, Rg₁, and Rg₃).18. The ginseng preparation according to claim 13 or claim 14, whichcomprises 5 to 50% of ginsenoside Rg₃ with reference to the totalcombined ginsenosides of (Rb₁, Rb₂, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, Rg₁, and Rg₃).